By Huned Contractor

Two documentaries focus on pollution in UP’s Hindon river, and the consequent health problems of the residents of the area

The statistics say it loud and clear. A study shows that in Hindon, located in western Uttar Pradesh, 107 people have died in the past five years of cancer caused by the consumption of water polluted by industrial effluents. In Jaibheem Nagar slum in Meerut, 124 deaths in the five-year period 2001 to 2006 were the result of contaminated groundwater. These startling facts are revealed in two documentaries made by Delhi-based filmmaker Raakesh Khatri.

Titled Give Us Water Or Grant Us Death and Holy Hindon Or Dirty Drain, the films showcase investigations undertaken by Janhit Foundation, a Meerut-based NGO that has the distinction of setting up a first-of-its-kind Rain Centre in north India, in collaboration with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which seeks to spread water literacy among urban Indians through electronic simulations.

The common thread in both films is the fact that river water that earlier could be consumed unfiltered by villagers has now turned into a carrier of sewage, poisonous chemicals and foamy toxins that have made the lives of those dependent on it miserable.

“No further evidence is required to prove that the Kali river that runs through Jaibheem Nagar has been transformed into a canal of death. Each one of the 1,300 residents of this area is suffering from skin disorders, diseases of the digestive tract and even cancer. We have time and again approached the higher authorities to take action, but nothing has been done so far. Due to water shortages and inadequate rainfall, we are forced to depend on groundwater resources. This water has been poisoned. What flows out of the handpumps is a trickle of brown water that is clearly not fit for humans, and yet we have no choice but to drink it,” says a worried slum resident. Ironically, across the river is a medical college that has been provided with an adequate supply of clean drinking water. Janhit Foundation has taken the matter to court through a public interest litigation (PIL).

For Raakesh Khatri, an independent documentary filmmaker who prefers to work on environment-related issues, the experience of interviewing people affected by contaminated water in Hindon and Jaibheem Nagar was a “nightmare”. What he feels most disturbed about is the casual approach of the district administration in tackling an issue as serious as clean drinking water supply -- a basic human necessity. “I have seen children whose skin has begun to peel off due to contaminated water. There are adults who are suffering from disabilities due to prolonged intake of this water,” he says.

Both documentaries present the facts by not only focusing on the state of the rivers and tracing the source of their pollution but also by interviewing residents who vociferously state their grievances. “We are hoping that these films will not only create awareness about this pathetic situation but also help us force the authorities to come up with safer alternatives,” says Anil Rana, Director of Janhit Foundation.

Meanwhile, the women of these two localities trudge over 5 km every day for a few cans of better quality drinking water. They have no option.

(Huned Contractor is a freelance journalist and filmmaker based in Pune)

InfoChange News & Features, January 2008